British Rowing would like to make the following proposal to the FISA Congress in relation to Rule 36 World Championship Boat Classes for

Transcription

1 British Rowing proposals to FISA Congress, Sarasota 207 British Rowing would like to make the following proposal to the FISA Congress in relation to Rule 36 World Championship Boat Classes for By 2020 the World Rowing Junior Championships programme should include a JW4+ Rationale: With the inclusion of the W4- in the Olympic programme and the commitment of the sport to move to gender equality we should look to add a W4+ to the Junior (and possibly U23) World Championships. This would also allow for the development of coxes at an elite level. There is a good pathway for boys sweep rowing with both the 4- and 4+ [alongside the 2- and 8+] and both are viable events with good entries, catering for U8 rowers with developing technical skills. We believe that if NF's are allowed time to adjust their programmes and look at introducing this new event it would provide both gender balance and a coherent development pathway for women's rowing. Annamarie Phelps

2 British Rowing would like to make the following proposal to the FISA Congress, 207 in relation to Rule 36 World Championship Boat Classes for By 2020 the World Rowing U23 Championships programme should include a BW4+ Rationale: there is a good pathway for men's sweep rowing with both the BM4- and BM4+ [alongside the 2- and 8+] and both are viable events with good entries, catering for U23 rowers with developing technical skills. With the inclusion of the W4- in the Olympic programme and the commitment of the sport to move to gender equality we should look to add a BW4+ to the World Rowing U23 Championships. This would also allow for continued development of female rowers who often come late to the sport and retain a higher number of coxes in a high performance/competitive environment. We believe that if NF's are allowed time to adjust their programmes and look at introducing this new event it would provide both gender balance and a coherent development pathway from Junior through U23 to senior for women's rowing. Increasing the breadth and depth of female athletes at the entry and early development stages. Annamarie Phelps CBE

3 British Rowing would like to make the following proposal to the FISA Congress, 207 in relation to Para-rowing Boat Classes for See Appendix One to FISA Classification Regulations and Bye-laws: [Sport Classes and Eligibility Requirements for each Sport Class A PRC p.339] The 20-point requirement for the Mx2x PR3 class boat should be removed, so the classification for the PR3 2x is the same as the PR3 Mx4+. Rationale: The Mx2x has been under-supported because of the difficulty in finding rowers with this level of disability for a sculling event, which requires symmetry and an oar in each hand. An asymmetric physical impairment or severe upper body impairment is not appropriate to sculling and this makes it hard to meet the current high point requirement. Annamarie Phelps CBE

4 Proposal for discussion: Paralympic Games Medal Events British Rowing would like to propose that FISA request an additional medal event for the 2020 Paralympic Games and prioritise PR3 Mx2x event with a less restrictive classification to support NFs to identify athletes with appropriate disabilities for sculling events. Rationale An additional boat class in the para-rowing regatta at the Paralympic Games would enhance the experience for spectators without increasing the capital expenditure investment on facilities. A smaller boat class in the PR3 Sport Class would support inclusion of NFs with fewer athletes and help provide a pathway to the bigger boat for the future. It may also help NFs with developing para-rowing programmes to access increased funding for para-rowing programmes with their countries. As this is a sculling boat the current higher level of classification in the Mx2x restricts the physical disability to a lower body or visual impairment, making it harder to identify athletes who meet the current point requirement. A. Phelps CBE

5 British Rowing would like to make the following proposal to the FISA Congress in relation to Rule 36 Para-rowing Boat Classes for World Rowing Championships British Rowing would like to propose that the FISA Congress reviews the pararowing events at the World Rowing Championships, and considers introducing the programme below [by 202] over a phased period with sufficient notice that NFs can apply for funding, identify, train and ensure appropriate classification rowers: PR PR2 PR3 M W M W M W Paralympic x x 2x 4+ 2x International - - x x x x 2-2- Rationale: in order to provide a pathway for para-rowers and appropriate high performance competitive opportunities we believe there is a need for international boat classes that can act as pathways for Paralympic Games events. These additional boat classes will help retain rowers in the high performance system and build depth in developing para-rowing teams. A more varied programme of smaller boat classes will help ensure that those NFs who cannot yet field a full Paralympic team can keep individual athletes engaged in training and racing. A Phelps CBE